Texas bans DEI at public universities.

Texas Legislature Passes Bill Prohibiting DEI Initiatives at Public Universities

The Texas legislature has given final approval to a new bill seeking to prohibit diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives at publicly funded universities in the state.

The legislation, known as Senate Bill 17, received final approval from both chambers of the Texas legislature on Sunday. The bill received a vote of 82 to 61 in favor of the final version from the House.

What Does the Bill Entail?

Under the bill’s provisions, Texas universities would be required to dismantle their DEI offices, programs, and mandatory training within the next six months. The hiring practices at these institutions would also need to be “color-blind and sex-neutral.”

However, the bill would not impact admissions, course curriculum, student organizations, faculty research, or data collection. In a move to address concerns about the potential consequences of the legislation, the final version of the bill stipulates that the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board must public universities.”>conduct biennial studies to evaluate the effects of these changes on student enrollment, retention, and graduation rates, broken down by race, sex, and ethnicity.

What Are the Reactions to the Bill?

State Sen. Brandon Creighton, a Republican and sponsor of the bill, hailed the bill’s passage.

“The elimination of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion offices will result in millions in savings for taxpayers and restore a culture of free inquiry, meritocracy, equal opportunity, genuine innovation within Texas higher education,” he said on Twitter.

In further comments obtained by The Texas Tribune, Creighton declared that the era of “political oaths, compelled speech, and racial profiling” in university hiring is now in the past.

“Moving forward, Texas will prioritize the advancement of the most qualified individuals and endorse policies that promote diversity and equality for our great state,” he said.

Final Thoughts

The bill, which was similar to the version approved by the Texas House of Representatives a week ago, underwent slight modifications during the conference committee stage.

One provision that ensured DEI employees would be reassigned to positions with similar responsibilities was removed from the final version of the bill.

What do you think about this new bill? Share your thoughts in the comments below.